Sunday, December 25, 2005

On my turntable: Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique

Paul's Boutique (1989)

Paul's Boutique (1989) is my favorite Beasties LP. When this album was released it was unlike anything I'd heard before. There are so many samples on here: The Beatles, Van Halen, Eagles, Jackson 5, The Sweet, Chic, to name just a few. The album definitely set the tone for what was to be a very diverse and impressive career by the band, which continues to this day. In my opinion, this album is the premier hip-hop psychedelic rock masterpiece.

Paul's Boutique was originally released in a multi-panelled (I think there were eight) sleeve, which was also featured, although less effectively, on the cassette and CD versions. The LP that I have is the import gatefold single LP version. With all the music that is packed onto 2 sides, I'm impressed with how full this record sounds. The bass is booming!